Just Breathe
by FireEMT86
Summary: After Danny is exposed to the Sarin in season 1, he isn't so lucky to come out of it so quick. His body rejects the medicine at first and it puts him in respiratory arrest. Can Steve keep it together for him and Grace?


Watching his partner struggle to breathe was torture for the Commander. Bowing his head he wished there was more he could do, "Danny? Danny, what happened?"

Gasping for air, Danny raised his hand and pointed to the house he had just come from, "body, no pulse." He took in another ragged breath. Steve patted him on the knee and took off in a sprint with Jenna hot on his heels. They both came to a halt, Jenna covering her nose and mouth from the rotten smell, "no don't. This man may have died from a chemical exposure; Danny must've been exposed when he touched him." She looked at Steve who was wide eyed.

In the distance he heard Kono call his name, "he's seizing." Kono also informed him that medics were in route. He helped Chin lay Danny on his back and held his head, trying to keep it from bouncing off the ground and doing more damage.

It was a blur to Steve when the medics arrived as they but a tube in Danny's throat to help him breathe, an IV to give him anti-seizing medication and fluids and the EKG lines for the heart monitor. Within minutes they had the detective on the cot and in the ambulance. Steve jumped in and glared at the medic in the back as he glared. The ride was so quick for Steve that he was thankful for, but he still was concerned for his friend as his lips began to tinge blue from the lack of oxygen.

He followed the cot until he was stopped by hospital staff and was prompted to wait in the waiting room. He ran his fingers through his hair and turned to see Kono and Chin step into the room, "how is he?"

Steve shook his head, "alive, for now. I could care less about Wo Fat and Sang Min right now. Our number priority is finding out who did this to Danny and that man. Does Jenna have anything yet?"

"No, brah. But Hazmat and DECON were enroute when we left, she will call as soon as she knows something," Kono explained, "doesn't Danny have Grace this weekend?" She asked Steve remembering Danny gloated about taking his little girl to a Father/Daughter Dance on Saturday.

"Damn, yeah Racheal and Stan are out of town," he turned to go get Grace from school.

505050505050

The doctors were running every type of test to figure out what the 5-0 detective was exposed to. They ran blood panels, x-rays, CT-Scans, but nothing was giving them answers. Danny's respiratory system had completely shut down and so the ventilator was breathing for him 100%.

Doctor Yang was the doctor assigned to the case, "let's hope his team can find something soon, otherwise this man has very little to no chance of survival."

505050505050

"Uncle Steve!" Grace came running out of the school and into her uncle's arms, "where's Danno?" She asked looking into the Camaro.

"Grace, Danno is pretty sick, I'm going to take you to the hospital okay," Steve said kneeling down to Grace's eye level, hoping she understood.

"Okay, is he going to be ok?" Grace asked frowning that her Danno was sick.

"Your dad is a fighter," Steve couldn't tell her that he may not survive.

Arriving back at the hospital they made their way to the waiting room, Grace sat in a chair by the window and got out a piece of paper and her crayons and started to draw while Steve went to see if there was any update on his partner.

Steve came back minutes to later to no news, "no news is good news," he thought to himself as he saw Grace coloring away. His cell phone started to ring, "McGarrett?"

"_Steve, its Jenna. Listen Danny was exposed to Sarin, tell the doctor's they need to get him on Praloxdine, if not he is going to die,_" she said as Steve turned and ran down the hall to let the staff know.

Returning to the waiting room he sat next to Grace, "is everything okay, Uncle Steve?" She asked.

"Yeah, they are getting Danno fixed right up," he smiled and wrapped an arm around her. Grace went back to coloring.

Chin, Kono and Jenna walked into the room and Steve met them at the door, "how is she?" Kono asked looking at Grace Williams.

"Doing better than I expected. You guys find anything on where the sarin originated from?" He asked as he scanned their faces.

"No, we are still isolating the milk cartons, it could take days," Chin said as he patted Steve on his arm. He flinched as he saw a doctor come down the hall in their direction, "Commander McGarrett?"

"Doctor Yang, this is my team, how is Danny?" He asked hoping it was good.

"Is that his daughter?" Doctor Yang asked, looking at Grace. Steve nodded and the doctor motioned for them to step into the hall, "I'm sorry but its best if she doesn't here this, you may tell her though. Detective Williams' respiratory system failed just minutes after he arrived in my care, he has been on a ventilator since then. We started him on the pralaxdine but so far he has not shown any signs of improvement. Right now he is in the ICU and will remain until…" his voice cut off.

"Okay, thanks doc. Do you think there is a chance?" Steve asked hopeful.

"It's too soon to tell Commander, I'm sorry," Doctor Yang shook his hand and left, praying for a miracle.

Kono sobbed as Chin held her and Jenna covered her mouth, "Uncle Steve, can I see Danno yet? I want to give him this." She said holding up the picture she drew for her dad.

"Grace, come sit down," he grabbed her hand and sat down and lifted her on his lap, "listen kiddo, Danno is still really sick. Where he is at you can't go back, they don't allow kids. But he's still fighting, okay," Steve said as he fought to hold his tears. He watched Grace's eyes well up and flow like a waterfall. He soothed her and rocked her.

"Uncle Steve, can you see Danno? If you can, can you give him this and tell him I love him and not to forget about the dance?" Grace asked as she handed the picture to him.

"Of course monkey. How about you go stay with Kono tonight. I will call if anything changes okay?" He asked as Grace got down and shook her head.

"Okay Uncle Steve, I love you, thank you for being there for my dad," Grace said as she took Kono's hand, " let me know if anything new comes open with this sarin." Steve said as Kono and Grace walked out.

"I'm going to head back to HQ, look for any connections to the home and the guy found there. I will come back by later with some grub," Chin said as he got up and left. Jenna had already left to contact her CIA contact for help.

Steve got up and made his way to the ICU, he ran into Doctor Yang, "how is he doc?" Steve asked as he peered in to see his partner.

"Still no change, Commander is there any family beside his daughter on the island?"

"No, we are it, his daughter, and my team. We are his family," Steve said as he fiddled with the paper.

"Commander, Danny should've responded to the parlaxdine by now, there are no other drugs or anti-dote for this nerve agent. The only way for him to pull out of this, alive is to let his body fight. I am sorry," Doctor Yang said as he turned to leave.

"Danny will fight it, he's strong, he just wouldn't leave his daughter," Steve said as he brushed the tear from his eye and entered the eerie room. The ventilator was making a whooshing noise every time it would breathe for Danny, the heart monitor would beep every few seconds to indicate he still had a heartbeat and the IV pole would make noise when it delivered the fluids to his weak body.

He pulled the chair close to the bed and covered his mouth; he grabbed his friend's cold hand and wept. Each tear landing on upon the detective, "you have to fight this brother, for me, for your parents, for the team, for Grace."

Chin called about an hour after he left Steve's side, "_Steve, we were able to identify the male found inside the home and the homeowners. We are running checks right now to see what comes up. How's Danny?"_

"Okay good, keep me posted. He's not any better, not any worse. I guess that's good," Steve peered back hoping he just didn't lie to his lieutenant, "Thank Chin." He hung up the phone and went back to his brother's side. Danny hadn't moved or made a sound since Steve had been by his side, Chin had come and gone and it was now almost midnight and Steve was almost asleep when Danny's heart monitor started to go berserk, "NURSE!" Steve yelled out the door and the team came running and shoving him out the door as they closed the curtain to work on his friend. Doctor Yang came running and didn't acknowledge Steve as he ran into the room. Steve panicked and cried, he hoped it wasn't the end.

To Steve it felt like an eternity, but it was only 20 minutes when he looked up and saw Doctor Yang and his team emerge from the room, "Commander, first off Detective Williams is okay. He started to breathe on his own and fight the machine. We did more blood work, but I think the medicine is starting to work. We removed the tube and sedated him," Doctor Yang watched as relief washed over Steve's face, "although Danny isn't out of the woods yet, this is improvement. We will watch him closely."

"Thank you, oh god thank you doctor," Steve said vigorously shaking the doctor's hand. He let go and made his way back into the room. Danny's lips were still a little blue and he looked like a ghost. His blond hair was matted with sweat, "just keep breathing Danno."

By the next morning the team was able to find the person who planted the sarin and arrest them. They went to the hospital to let Steve know, "hey brah, how is he?" Chin asked walking in.

"Better today, still not awake, but he hasn't crashed again," Steve said. They all bided their farewell, Kono was going to pick Grace up from school.

Again Steve sat next to his friend, his brother. He leaned back and closed his eyes, he opened them when he heard a grunt, then a moan, "Danny? Danno, open them eyes." He grabbed his hand and tried to keep Danny from freaking out.

"Steve?" Danny squinted as he attempted to open his eyes, "where am I?"

Steve smiled, "you are in the hospital but you are going to be fine, you are going to be fine." Steve hit the nurse's button and the nurse came in and checked everything over and left.

"What happened?" Danny asked staring bleary at Steve.

"You were exposed to a chemical nerve agent called Sarin. When you touched that guy in the house to check for a pulse it exposed. You went into respiratory arrest and they had you on a ventilator, they pulled you off of it last night," Steve said.

"Damn you," Danny muttered.

"Excuse me?" Steve asked looking at his partner.

"You are a curse; I am always getting hurt around you. I demand a new partner Steven!" Danny demanded.

"Danno, you just need to breath. Just breathe!" Steve said as they both broke out laughing.


End file.
